Friends For Life
by Tenku Greywords
Summary: "I missed you." was the silent sentence in the dark room. His eyes filled with tears. His first friend was here, right before him, and he couldn't think of anything else to say. The silence was horrible, almost unbearable, and his time for a visit was alm


A.N. You wont kill me.right? I mean. I really, really, REALLY tried to make this enjoyable. please. no flames! I don't own it! Really I don't! If I did all of them would be in my house! LOL ^^  
  
Friends For Life: Chapter 1  
  
By: Tenku Greywords  
  
It was a bright and sunny day. The laundry was out, the chores done, and Kenshin and his friends were on their way to get lunch at the diner. Beef stew was on their minds, what else?  
  
"Oh I can't wait!" Kaoru giggled as Ayame and Suzume sand the 'beef stew' song happily, their grandpa holding their hands and swinging them in tune with the song.  
  
All was happy.  
  
Until they came upon a large group of people, probably sixty percent female and forty percent male.  
  
"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" was their little chant.  
  
"Kenshin." Sanosuke started; Yahiko was already working his way through the crowd.  
  
"Kenshin!" Kenshin, alarmed, worked his way with Sanosuke through the crowd.  
  
"Yahiko! What's the matter?" Kenshin looked around for Yahiko and soon spotted the boy being held back by a group of rough looking adults.  
  
"Just leave it boy, you aren't strong enough to take her on anyway!"  
  
"Let me go! Kenshin! Kenshin!" Sanosuke took action and bullied people out of his way, grabbing Yahiko.  
  
"Mind explainin' runt?" he asked, the fishbone he had been chewing sticking out of the left corner of his mouth. Kenshin knelt down with a smile on his face, going eyelevel with him.  
  
"Mind telling us what has gotten you so worked up?"  
  
"The fight! One of my old friends from when I wasn't working in the centicit is being beaten up! I gotta help!" The small boy tried worming his way out of Sanosuke's grasp.  
  
"Ugh! Lemme go! Lemme go!!"  
  
"Will ya stop squirming!" Sanosuke growled. "I'll drop him off by Kaoru, meet ya back here Kenshin." Sanosuke backed out, holding Yahiko's sword in one hand and Yahiko in the other.  
  
"BUT I GOTTA HELP!!"  
  
"Now to get to the bottom of this." Kenshin said to himself, easily pushing past the out of control crowd. He stopped at the front where two girls were facing off against a figure he couldn't quite identify. The two girls, twins, each had swords and the unidentifiable person had not one, but two twin katanas, but neither was drawn. It held it's left arm and blood flowed like a steady river.  
  
"Move away from that kid."  
  
"Or else!"  
  
"What did he ever do to you?" the voice was calm and pain ridden. Kenshin saw a clear view of a cowering kid behind the mysterious person.  
  
"Nothing,"  
  
"At all," The two twins finished each other's sentences to the point of annoyance.  
  
"Except,"  
  
"That he,"  
  
"Made rude,"  
  
"Remarks." Kenshin sighed. Would people ever learn?  
  
"Not with people like these two." he muttered.  
  
"It s the Meji era! You should know better, this boy did nothing to you; but you'd kill him to make yourselves look good?" now the voice from behind the billowing black cape and cowl held disgust.  
  
"Either move,"  
  
"Or die!"  
  
"We wont,"  
  
"Miss this time!" the twins with the purple hair readied their swords.  
  
"What's your choice?" they asked simultaneously.  
  
"I'm not moving. This boy is now a part of me and to let you kill him would defeat my very purpose. He reminds me of a friend I had a long time ago.'  
  
"Could it be Yahiko this person is talking about?" Kenshin wondered. He found he had had enough of this, so he calmly stepped forth. Immediately people recognized him and fled; but the brave stayed to watch what they hoped would be carnage.  
  
"Who are you?" the first twin said. Kenshin smiled; they must be new.  
  
"I am Kenshin Himura, a wanderer, that I am. And what you're doing is wrong, that it is. I kindly ask you to stop your assault on this stranger and the little boy."  
  
"Who,"  
  
"Do you,"  
  
"Think you are!?" they said the last line in unison.  
  
"Kenshin!" Sanosuke called.  
  
"Need any help?"  
  
"No, I don't think I will." Kenshin smiled. He swiftly blocked the sword aimed at him in the blink of an eye. The two twins stared wide-eyed.  
  
"Y-You're."  
  
"I-Inhuman!"  
  
"OTOUSAAAAAN!!!!!!" They ran off, leaving a sighing Kenshin and a cloud of dust.  
  
"Got that affect on people, don't cha Kenshin." Kenshin smiled and rubbed the back of his head, he turned back to where the fight was and saw the person walking off.  
  
"Wait! You're wounded. I'm sure my friend could help."  
  
"Thanks for the help." The figure turned around and waved with its good hand.  
  
"Ja ne." and then it spun around again, breaking into a dead run.  
  
"WAIT!" Yahiko cried, breaking free of Kaoru, but it was too late.  
  
"Darn." Yahiko balled his fists.  
  
"Darn." he turned to Kaoru.  
  
"I'll be back soon, don't eat it all without me!" and he left at a dead run. Of course his sentence sounded like 'I'llbebacksoondon'teatitallwithoutme!'  
  
"Yahiko! Wait!" Kaoru cried.  
  
"Oh! Ugh! FINE THEN!" she yelled after him.  
  
"Don't get your hair tie in a bunch little missy."  
  
"SHUT UP SANOSUKE! Come on! We'll eat without him!" with a 'humph' Kaoru made her way to the diner, muttering things about a certain little boy. She turned when they didn't follow.  
  
"WELL!!?? W can't keep the others waiting anyway!"  
  
"Right Miss Kaoru." Kenshin smiled and made his way to the diner with Sanosuke at his flank, drooling at the thought of FREE beef stew.  
  
**********************************  
  
Yahiko panted heavily trailing after the masked person. He hoped it was his friend. It HAD to be his friend; he KNEW it had to be! He'd waited so long.  
  
~Flash back~  
  
It was snowing that day, and Yahiko had been caught in an alleyway. Fever dizzied him, and his head felt light as he made out the blurry images of thugs. He had recently found out about his mother dying and had taken a long walk, not thinking he'd run into some thugs.  
  
He balled his fists, but their muscles trembled at the movement and his stomach lurched.  
  
He was so far gone he couldn't even make out what the thugs that would probably kill him were saying.  
  
They came closer and Yahiko glared as best as he could, taking a shaky step back.  
  
And then it was as if light had been cast into a dark room for a figure of which he couldn't make out stepped before him and took the first punch. The words that had seemed like a thick mush came to him clear as rain.  
  
"So you're picking on little kids now!?" It was an unfamiliar voice, but it made Yahiko feel safe. It reminded him of his mother, kind and reassuring and his father, brave and not fearful.  
  
He heard several gasps and cries of pain and then the thugs fled. The figure turned around and Yahiko saw beautiful brown eyes that mirrored his own, only much deeper and emotional. The right ear stood out with two piercing, two, small, silver hoops hung from it. And he saw a soft face and locks of soft blond hair.  
  
"Don't worry little one." And then everything blurred as Yahiko fell into warm eyes and blacked out.  
  
*  
  
Yahiko had woken up days later in a place unfamiliar. But he soon found out it was a carved tree, and it was furnished with everything. But most of all, it was warm.  
  
"I see you're up little one." Yahiko looked into the last face he had seen when he blacked out.  
  
His guardian angel.  
  
And usually Yahiko objected to being called little, but when this girl said it. it made him feel right. He vowed from there on as the girl spoon-fed him some warm broth and herbal tea, he would only allow his new friend to call him little, for it felt right, and he liked it.  
  
**********~End Flashback~********************  
  
He found out her name was Raine, Raine Kasseri.  
  
He stayed with her for two years, and then he was kidnapped by the centicit.  
  
She had tried to save him he heard, and she had died trying. or so he heard  
  
He never saw Raine Kasseri again.  
  
Not until now.  
  
Yahiko ran harder than he had ever run in his life.  
  
He had to see her.  
  
He had to know if it was her, he HAD to!  
  
He stopped panting when he got to a bridge that lead over a ravine.  
  
The person was there surrounded by blood, and Yahiko's heart leapt, and his throat strangled.  
  
What if it was his guardian angel? What if it was Raine?  
  
Yahiko finally brought himself to the taller person's side.  
  
"Raine?"  
  
"Y-Yahiko?" ignoring any politeness Yahiko pushed back the cape and slipped the cowl down from the person's face.  
  
Long blond locks pulled into a ponytail.  
  
The beautiful brown eyes.  
  
The right ear was pierced twice.  
  
The same soft face and smile.  
  
It was his guardian. It was Raine Kasseri.  
  
"I finally found you."  
  
"Little one.. I'm sorry I could not rescue you." Yahiko blushed wiping at his eyes, which had gone watery.  
  
"Don't worry about it." Yahiko just knelt there stupidly looking at his long ago friend. His guardian in the snow. His first friend when he came to realize how harsh the world was. The one that kept him believing in hope. Most of all, his best friend.  
  
"Uh!" Raine's hand flew up to her arm as it jarred, and Yahiko remembered the dire situation.  
  
"You're hurt! Can you walk?" Without a word Raine slowly crept to her feet. She winced and grabbed her arm.  
  
"Megumi can take care of your wound! Please, Raine, come with me." Raine smiled and knelt again. She brought Yahiko into a small hug.  
  
"I have missed my little partner in mischief, and my best friend." Painstakingly she got to her feet again. She was about two feet taller than him; but neither minded. They were the opposite sex, and still neither minded.  
  
They were best friends, and they always would be.  
  
Halfway there Raine faltered and fell, just as the sun was setting and cold started to come.  
  
"G-Go on without me. Yahiko.."  
  
"Never! I lost you once and I WONT loose you again!" Then the crafty boy pieced together a structure made of sticks and branches covered it with leaves so it'd be soft, and hauled his friend onto it.  
  
It was a stretcher; and he began dragging it home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Dojo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kaoru had to admit it, even though she hated to.  
  
She was worried, and about the little brat no less!  
  
When he hadn't shown up at or after lunch is when it started. Then it progressed when they got home and he wasn't there either.  
  
Finally, when the sun had set, she became even more panicked.  
  
She had gotten to the point of calling Megumi incase when he got home he was hurt.  
  
They had all eaten dinner and a pall had been settled in a thick blanket over it.  
  
Now it was nine, two hours after sunset, and he still wasn't back.  
  
"Miss Kaoru, you should rest."  
  
"I can't Kenshin." She said quietly as the red haired swordsman sat next to her overlooking the front gate. Yahiko may have been a pain in the butt sometimes, but she did love him, just like a son or brother in a way.  
  
"I'm sure he'll be back soon, you should really rest." Kenshin said again, after a few minutes.  
  
"No. I'm going to wait." She said stubbornly.  
  
"Then I shall wait with you." Kenshin smiled.  
  
"But. alright."  
  
"I guess you know there's no arguing with Kenshin, is there little Missy?"  
  
"Sano, you too?"  
  
"Yep, someone's gotta have the heart to yell at him for worrying us to death" Kaoru sighed, but glad for the company.  
  
At nine thirty they heard a small sound, or at least Kenshin and Sanosuke did. And then they saw a flash of yellow kimono. A few seconds later Yahiko stood at the gate, dirty and panting.  
  
"Yahiko!" Kaoru cried in relief, rushing to the boy who seemed to be carrying something.  
  
"Not now Kaoru! Where's Megumi?"  
  
"Who the fox lady? She's inside." Sanosuke said.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"She's hurt! I gotta help her!" Yahiko began struggling to pull something behind him. His eyes were filling with tears. He couldn't make it another step and he collapsed as he got Raine in clear view.  
  
"Sano, go alert Megumi and help her get ready."  
  
"Gotcha Kenshin." Sanosuke went back inside the house as Kaoru gently put her arms around Yahiko's cold body.  
  
"I was so worried." Kaoru gently helped him stand as he legs shook under him she helped into the house; half unconscious.  
  
Kenshin took Raine gently from the stretcher. She groaned in response. Kenshin immediately ran into the dojo seeing how urgent it was, making it past Kaoru and Yahiko who were only halfway to the door, and ran into the room they had set up for Megumi in case Yahiko had been the one to get hurt.  
  
They didn't think he'd actually find the person.  
  
**********************************  
  
As Kenshin entered the room they had proclaimed as 'sick bay' he was directed to the bed in which he was to place the girl.  
  
"Set her down gently please, Sir Ken." Megumi addressed urgently. Kenshin got on his knees and gently lowered the girl down, who was dripping blood.  
  
"I want you all out, I need to work in silence!" she proclaimed in the nicest manor possible when there's a person bleeding badly.  
  
"You better be careful fox lady."  
  
"Out rooster head!" and the door was slammed and locked in their faces.  
  
"Let's go check on Yahiko." Sano said.  
  
"Right." Both of them raced down the hall in search of Kaoru.  
  
They found she and Yahiko in the living room, next to the heater they had saved up for. Yahiko was covered in a few blankets and Kaoru was tending to his little bruises and scratches from the trip.  
  
"Will he be alright?" Kenshin asked softly as he and Sanosuke sat down.  
  
"He's got a high fever."  
  
"I think we should call Dr. Gensai." She then added after a minute.  
  
"I'll go get him." Sanosuke volunteered.  
  
"That's unusually nice for you." Kaoru tried to make a joke, even in this situation. Sanosuke turned around and smiled at her.  
  
"Oh come on, I'm not THAT bad, am I Little Missy?"  
  
"I'm not going to even bother answering."  
  
"I'm hurt." And Sanosuke was off with the last sarcastic mark said.  
  
"Miss Kaoru-"  
  
"Don't even say it Kenshin, because I'm NOT going to bed now." Kenshin smiled and chuckled.  
  
"Alright Miss Kaoru." Yahiko stirred.  
  
"Raine." he murmured. Kaoru looked hopeful for a moment.  
  
"Yahiko?" She traced her finger over one of his fever-flushed cheeks and his eyes fluttered open. Kaoru bit back a cry.  
  
He looked so weak. This wasn't. no couldn't be her Yahiko! Her Yahiko was strong, he was determined, and he was spirited! But this Yahiko was weak, frail, and looked so helpless. How could the two Yahiko's be the same?  
  
"Don't worry Yahiko, your friend should be o.k." Kenshin smiled.  
  
"Kaoru?"  
  
"I'm right beside you Yahiko."  
  
"You're still. ugly." and he passed back out with a smile on his face. Usually the insult would have bothered Kaoru, but right then, that was the best thing in the world. Her Yahiko wasn't dead after all!  
  
Then Sano came back with Doctor Gensai on his back. The old doctor smiled at Kaoru.  
  
"I hear little Yahiko is sick."  
  
"Yes Doctor Gensai. Where are Ayame and Suzume?"  
  
"Right here." Sanosuke smiled, nodding to the two adorable and incredibly sweet girls bundled up in his arms, still sleeping.  
  
"Just put them in my room Sano."  
  
"Sure thing little Missy." The tall boxer left.  
  
Kaoru watched closely as Doctor Gensai preformed his little check up, checking Yahiko's temperature carefully. When he was done Kaoru's concerned gaze met him.  
  
"How is he?" she asked, almost fearing the answer.  
  
"He's got a high temperature. Watch him closely, it could spread to pneumonia, so don't let him out of bed; even if you have to tie him down, he must stay in bed for at least two days, at most a week. Only feed him soup and crackers, his stomach wont be able to handle it."  
  
Then the old doctor got up, and Kaoru and Kenshin followed. Both Kaoru and Doctor Gensai bowed respectively.  
  
"Thank you very much Doctor Gensai. How about you stay here tonight, since it is late."  
  
"Thank you, my dear, I think I shall take you up on that offer."  
  
"Second hall, first door on the left." Sanosuke said, coming from putting the two little children to bed.  
  
After the doctor had left and he had sat down there was a few moments of silence of which they all listened to Yahiko's breathing.  
  
"How bad?"  
  
"It could go to pneumonia, he's not aloud out of bed." Kaoru said quietly. Sanosuke chuckled at this.  
  
"That's gonna be one hell of a trip."  
  
"That it will Sano, that it will." Kenshin agreed with a small smile.  
  
As the night wore on they all succumbed to sleep. Kaoru resting with her head on Kenshin's shoulder, Kenshin sitting, leaning on a wall with Sanosuke right beside him.  
  
*********************************  
  
In 'Sick Bay' Megumi worked long into the night and into the early hours of morning, and she didn't even know if all her efforts would be fruitless or not. Only time could tell.  
  
She cleaned up the blood, her tools, and everything that she used. She through the things that could not be used ever again away and even found a pack full of extra clothes in the billowing folds of the cape and cowl which she would have washed in the morning.  
  
She removed the girl, Raine, from the bloody clothes and dressed her in the only outfit she had found; an outfit much like Sir Ken's, only a deep navy blue and it had the name of a dojo and the name 'Raine' on it.  
  
She wrapped the stitched arm in bandages, and also wrapped the girl's torso, which held a few nasty cuts as well. Then added the final touch, she covered Raine with a blanket.  
  
Then, cleaning herself up and putting her own blood stained clothes in the wash and changing into sleep wear, she went to a mat in the corner of the 'sick bay' room and left the rest for the others to do tomorrow.  
  
She had done all she could just to keep the girl alive this far, and she hoped it was enough.  
  
~~~~~~Next Day~~~~~~~~  
  
The sun and smell of breakfast woke Yahiko up that morning. His body ached all over, his head hurt, and his nose was stuffed up. He felt terrible. No, terrible was a complete and udder understatement. And for some reason he didn't want to open his eyes, but he did any way.  
  
He was met by a bit of sunlight that seemed to want to amplify his headache ten fold.  
  
"I see you're up, that you are." A cheerful voice said.  
  
"Kenshin?" a familiar face greeted him. Yahiko couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
"You're in the living room, that you are." Another smile.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You're sick, you shouldn't move around much? Are you hungry?" The night before dawned on Yahiko.  
  
"Raine!" He immediately sat up only to be pushed down by a still smiling Kenshin.  
  
"Kenshin! Let me up!"  
  
"I can't do that, Dr. Gensai said you aren't aloud out of bed."  
  
"But Raine!"  
  
"When we hear from Megumi we'll be sure to tell you, that we will."  
  
"B-but Raine! She."  
  
"Why don't you eat now."  
  
"No thanks, 'm not hungry." Yahiko said sullenly, staring at the ceiling. Even his voice was nasal.  
  
It reminded him of the night he met Raine Kasseri.  
  
Yahiko dared sneak a glance to see if Kenshin was still watching him.  
  
Yep he was.  
  
He was not going to get out of this one.  
  
Yahiko sighed in defeat.  
  
"Darn." Kenshin just chuckled with a genki expression on his face. Yahiko closed his eyes for a few minutes; only opening when I cool cloth was placed on his forehead. He opened an eye to look at Kenshin.  
  
"It's to keep the fever down."  
  
"Oh." silence again. Yahiko began to plot ways to sneak out of bed to see Raine.  
  
Oh yes, he WOULD see Raine, even if it killed him. He HAD to see how she was faring. he just had to.  
  
Shifts for Yahiko's watch soon changed and Kaoru came in with a bowl of steaming hot soup. Yahiko watched her and slowly sat up. She piled more pillows behind his back with a smile.  
  
"How is Raine?"  
  
"Raine? What a pretty name." Yahiko growled, and ended up coughing with Kaoru rubbing his back.  
  
"Kaoru, answer my question."  
  
"Still no word from Megumi."  
  
"Darn."  
  
"Hungry?" Yahiko's stomach rumbled, he didn't answer; instead he weakly crossed his arms.  
  
"Oh come on now. You'll be able to see her soon." Kaoru coaxed. Yahiko sighed and took the bowl of soup, and mumbled a quick 'thank you'.  
  
He took one spoonful and his stomach lurched. Kaoru's smile disappeared as she handed him a wastebasket. He promptly hurled all in his stomach into the wastebasket in heaves, gasping for air.  
  
Finally, he collapsed onto the mounds of pillows, sweating bullets.  
  
"Oh Yahiko, I'm so sorry." The small boy groaned, and was once again trapped in sleep while Kaoru continued her watch.  
  
*  
  
Yahiko awoke again and Sanosuke was there.  
  
"Hey kid, feeling any better?" Yahiko gave him a look that said 'what do you think genius?' and returned to looking at the ceiling, dizzy.  
  
"Raine.?"  
  
"Megumi said she's alive, but she hasn't woken up. She lost a lot of blood and she's lucky she doesn't need a transfusion. She's a trooper." Yahiko couldn't help but smile. She was gonna be o.k. now if only he could see her.  
  
"Can I-"  
  
"Nope, you have to stay in bed." Yahiko made a face. After all he'd been through and he couldn't see his best friend! He glared and Sanosuke who didn't seem to be affected.  
  
Yahiko sighed and continued to stare at the ceiling, it was going to be a loooong day.  
  
A.N. Please read and review, don't flame unless it's in a nice way.. o.k.? 


End file.
